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Browsing & Playing

Now that you're signed in, here's how to find something to watch and control playback.

Finding something to watch

Browse the library

Plex library grid view

On the left side of the screen (or in the menu on mobile), you'll see the shared libraries -- usually labeled something like "Movies" and "TV Shows." Tap or click one to see everything available.

Inside a library, content is displayed as a grid of poster artwork. You can scroll through to see what's available, much like browsing Netflix or any other streaming app.

Plex search bar

Look for the magnifying glass icon at the top of the screen. Type the name of a movie, show, or actor, and Plex will show you matching results from the shared server.

Tip

Search looks across all shared libraries at once, so you don't need to pick "Movies" or "TV Shows" first.

Sort and filter

Inside any library, look for sort and filter options near the top of the page. You can sort by title, year, rating, or date added. Filters let you narrow down by genre, year, or resolution -- helpful when you're not sure what you want.

Playing something

Plex title detail page

  1. Click or tap a title to open its detail page. You'll see a description, rating, cast info, and the play button.
  2. Press the big Play button to start watching immediately. For TV shows, you'll see a list of seasons and episodes -- pick the one you want and press play.
  3. Playback controls appear when you move your mouse (or tap the screen on mobile). You'll see familiar buttons: play/pause, skip forward/back, volume, and fullscreen.

Tip

If you stop watching partway through, Plex remembers where you left off. Next time you open that title, just press "Resume" to pick up right where you stopped.

Subtitles & audio

Plex playback controls

During playback, look for a speech bubble icon or settings gear in the playback controls. From there you can:

  • Turn on subtitles if they're available (many titles include English subtitles and sometimes other languages).
  • Switch between audio tracks if multiple languages are provided.

Your Watchlist

Found something interesting but not ready to watch it yet? Click the bookmark icon (or the "Add to Watchlist" button) on any title's detail page. You'll find your saved titles later under "Watchlist" in the sidebar.

Think of it like a "watch later" list -- it's personal to your account, so no one else sees it.

Continue Watching

Plex keeps track of everything you've started. Look for a "Continue Watching" row on the home screen -- it shows titles you haven't finished yet, so you can jump right back in.

Quick reference

Playback shortcuts (on a computer)

Key Action
Space Play or pause
F Toggle fullscreen
Left / Right Skip back / forward
Up / Down Volume up / down
M Mute